ABSTRACT
Sweet orange oil is the essential oil obtained by expression from the pericarp of the orange, Citrus sinensis Osbeck. Citrus species may have originated in India 30 to 40 million years ago. Citrus fruits subsequently spread to East Asia and the Mediterranean region, where a great number of varieties were born by numerous mutations. China is the origin of sweet oranges: sinensis in its botanical name Citrus sinensis. Osbeck refers to China. Sweet oranges are categorized into the common oranges, acidless oranges, pigmented oranges. Oranges are grown widely in the tropics and subtropics. Brazil produces the greatest volume of this species, followed by the United States, China, Mexico, Spain, India, Egypt and Morocco. Cold-pressed Citrus essential oils consist of a volatile fraction, which represents 85-99% of the oil, and a nonvolatile fraction 1-15%, which mainly contains oxygen heterocyclic compounds, especially coumarins, psoralens and polymethoxyflavones.
